With the increasing use of internet and social media the marketing advertising industry is changing. Now the old tricks do not work which used to a few years back. Now people are more focused towards products reviews and opinion of their friends and family who have used the product/service.
We already have influencers and celebrities promoting various brands and products on Instagram and Twitter. But the engagement rate of such accounts are very low and they are always passionate about the product they are promoting. That sometimes fails to create connections with the audiences.
To get a more authentic and strategic relationship with the followers on social media you need a micro-influencer who have a more loyal fan base and a very personal relationship with them.
Who are Micro-influencers?
Micro-Influencers are influential personalities on social media with up to 10,000 followers. They are different from Influencers who have followers starting from 10,000 to 1,000,000.
Micro-influencers are a great opportunity for smaller companies to get into conversations in a meaningful way with their target audiences. People are looking for recommendations these days than ever before. Social media platforms like Instagram has the power to influence what people purchase. Many people just buy things because they have seen an influencer using it or talking about it.
Why you should work with micro-influencers to make your business a success-
They are Affordable as compared to influencers
Hiring micro-influencers cost significantly less as compared to Influencers or celebrities. If you are a small business and wish to market yourself online through a popular person, micro-influencers are for you. You can get to reach a very targeted audience which might be more interested in your product/service than the rest of the people online.
Collaborating with a micro-influencer will have the maximum ROI on your invested money as they bring their personal touch in your marketing strategy. It’s important for them too to carefully choose their endorsements as their followers are more niche and vocal as compared to big influencers.
The engagement rate is higher
A study conducted by Markerly shows that the engagement rate reduces with the increasing number of followers. Instagram users with less than 1000 followers generally receive likes up to 8% of total followers and users with 10 million+ followers receive only 1.7%.
So there is a clear negative correlation between the two factors. The same is with the number of comments they receive. Hence with micro-influencers, you are getting a fairly large audience and a more engaged one.
Micro-influencers are more connected to their followers, they are not like the out of reach celebrities but are more relatable people and that is why they succeed in making a following in highly engaged and interested followers.
They are more trustworthy and committed than celebrities
Micro-influencers have a more loyal fan base because they mostly talk about the things they are passionate about and engage more with their followers in real time.
They have to build confidence among their followers and so the brands can rely on them to talk about the brand products. That will not only improve their reputation but also increase the level of interaction between the brand and the followers.
Where to look for the right influencers?
Hashtags search
You can find social media users who are interested in topics about your industry and are already talking about it through hashtag search on Instagram or Twitter. If you are an organic food supplier you could search Instagram for #healthyfood and have a look at the top posts. You will find some best-performing content from users who are genuinely interested in the topic.
These micro-influencers will happily work with you because they are genuinely interested in your industry and they will bring more engagement from their highly dedicated audiences.
Look into your existing followers
Your followers on social media are following you because they are genuinely interested in your brand. And who will be better than one of those to promote and advocate about your brand. You can look for people among your existing followers who have up to 10,000 of their own followers.
Collaborate with them to authentically build credibility and relevance.
Micro-influencers are personally invested in their job and that is why they are a more trusted source of recommendation for the followers.
Search locally
You can also search for micro-influencers locally in your city and nearby areas on Google if you want to target more of local markets. You can build a strong and deep
relationship with your target audiences through the locally popular Micro-influencers.
How to choose the right micro-influencer?
Once you have searched for micro-influencers you should contact them and try to learn more about them before finalizing one. You have to be sure that his/her personality is aligned with your brand personality after all they are going to represent you among your future prospects.
Is the influencer’s audiences your target audience? Are you happy with the way influencer interact with their followers? You need to pay attention to how the influencer responds to the comments on their post.
You should also give them freebies like the product you want to promote, offer your service or experience, or an invitation to an event. This will not only establish compatibility between you and the influencer but also build a healthy professional relationship.
These details will help you in selecting the right influencer who can replicate your brand’s personality on social media the way you want. Before beginning with your work you should discuss the achievable goals and expectations with them so that both of you are on the same page.
Besides that, you should approach collaboration with flexibility. Do not just give them the messages and images you want to use but also listen to their inputs to make the campaign more relevant and compelling. They are more equipped to provide a valuable suggestion as they know what works better with their audiences.
You can not ignore the power of micro-influencers. They prove that quantity is not always the only requirement. As we already discussed that the number of followers does not make the difference but the connection with the followers does. With their capability to influence and create an impact on their closely knit followers, you can market your brand on social media without spending a fortune.
To know more about digital marketing techniques stay tuned and please subscribe to this blog and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn
